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Sportsbetting.ag Poker Review
“Long trusted for its sports betting platform, SportsBetting has also offered a solid online poker platform for many years. It is a favorite for many recreational players.”
Legal US Poker Sites Staff
Overview
The name says it. SportsBetting with its .ag suffix is a home for many sports bettors in the United States and around the world. It has been in business since 1991 as one of the very first online gambling sites in existence. What many people don’t know is that it has also offered online poker for quite a few years, along with an online casino section for table games and virtual slot machines.
The crossover between sports wagering and online poker playing is a long tradition. SportsBetting and its sister site, BetOnline, have been a favorite spot for players to find both types of gaming in one place for decades.
SportsBetting Poker operates on the Chico Poker Network, a trusted name in the poker business for many years. As it keeps up with the latest technology and pays close attention to the wants and needs of the poker community, Chico continuously ranks as a top option for American players.
In our Sportsbetting review, we will go over this poker room in greater detail so you can be confident about choosing them as your online poker home.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Unique Six Plus Hold’em game
- Weekly and daily tournaments
- Consistent leaderboard competitions for all players
- Numerous cryptocurrency options for deposits and withdrawals
- Low stakes for recreational and beginner players
Cons
- New players need better site navigation and poker lessons
- Software updates not posted since 2022
- More mixed game options needed
Bonuses and Promotions
There are some promos and bonuses always on offer at SportsBetting, but some new ones pop up from time to time. It’s always best to check the website to stay informed and make the most of the offers.
Welcome Bonus
Every player can use the welcome bonus when they open a new SportsBetting Poker account. New players receive a 100% match of any deposit up to $1,000, as well as eight days of complimentary tournament tickets to start playing. The tournament tickets are step satellites that can translate into seats in the $100K guarantee Sunday Showdown tournament.
The bonus is released in $5 increments, every time the player earns $50 in rake. It requires a $50 minimum deposit, and the promo code is POKER1000 to be used in the cashier when signing up for the new account.
Weekly Boost Leaderboard
SportsBetting poker players can compete in Boost games for weekly leaderboard prizes. The fast-fold poker variation is already popular, and players earn points no matter if they win or lose the hands they play. The top 50 players at the Hold’em Boost tables every week win a share of $5,000 in prizes. The leaderboard tracker is in the “missions” section of the poker client (or “contests” section if playing poker on a mobile device.
Reload Bonuses
There is always some type of bonus that gives players something extra for reloading their account. If there is not one listed on the website, players should contact a customer service representative for the latest offer.
Rise & Rewards Benefits at SportsBetting Poker
Players earn points through regular play on the SportsBetting via tournaments and cash games. Regular rake contributions turn into points, which then translate into weekly rewards of random prizes with values of up to $500.
This is not a typical rewards program or VIP program for online poker, but many players prefer it for the weekly rewards and useful benefits. They can receive cash, game bonuses for cash game play, tournament tickets, or locked cash bonuses based on their play across the six available levels.
- Level 1: Must rake $25
- Level 2: Must rake $75
- Level 3: Must rake $175
- Level 4: Must rake $425
- Level 5: Must rake $925
- Level 6: Must rake $1,925
SportsBetting Poker Game Selection
Players at SportsBetting will find all of the standard tournaments and cash games, SNGs and even jackpot SNGs, that most poker sites offer. The benefit of playing through this platform is that the lobby is straightforward. The search function makes it easy to find the stakes and types of games that suit a particularly type of poker interest or bankroll.
Cash Games
Every player, with the exception of whales and super high rollers, can find cash games at their preferred stakes. There are No Limit Hold’em games from $0.05/$0.10 stakes up to $2/$5, with the occasional interest in $5/$10 or higher. Some of the games have the straddle feature and the ability to run the board three times, the latter indicating the ability to run out an all-in board several times to see the overall results. There are ample straightforward games, though, with a single board runout and no straddles.
Pot Limit Omaha players will find options, from Omaha 5 to Omaha 6 and the split-pot H/L version. PLO starts at $0.05/$0.10 and runs up to $5/$10 frequently.
Boost cash games are available for NLHE and PLO players with turbo structures. Boost tables move players quickly, as folding a hand immediately places them at a new table. It keeps the action moving and eliminates time wasted waiting for others to act.
Tournaments
Players can often find freerolls in the tournament lobby, as well as a range of buy-ins for Hold’em and Omaha tournaments. Some of them present guarantees on their prize pools, which ensures action and solid fields.
Formats are diverse, as there are mystery bounties and traditional PKO (progressive knockout) tournaments, six-max and full-ring events, turbo and regular structures, rebuys and reentries, and even shootouts. Players can search by many of these indicators to find what they want.
Most buy-ins range from $0.55 to $5.50 or $11, , but there are freerolls and some larger tournaments. Often, the higher buy-ins are tournaments within series or weekly events, but they usually offer satellites for cheaper entries so many players can get seats at a discount. There are options for everyone, especially in tournament series.
Sit & Go
The sit-and-go (SNG) is a popular way to play a single-table event in a shorter period of time than a regular tournament. SportsBetting offers a range of SNGs from $0.25 to $30 (and sometimes higher, if there is player demand) with anywhere from four to eight players. Some satellites are also in the SNG format.
Windfalls
SportsBetting and BetOnline use the software’s proprietary Windfall feature. This is a hyper-turbo structured SNG that requires three people to play. Players can buy-in for $3 or up to $30, and the software then chooses the prize pool. It can be 2x the buy-in or up to 2,500x the buy-in, which gives players the chance to win bankroll-changing money. The action moves fast, so the action is intense.
There are standard No Limit Hold’em Windfall games, as well as Open-Face Chinese Pineapple-style and All-In-or-Fold games. The latter offers lower prize multipliers, and the players have no options in hands other than to move all-in or fold.
SportsBetting Poker Tournaments
While most of the tournaments on SportsBetting Poker are Hold’em and Omaha, there are many variations and formats within those categories. Players can almost always find the buy-ins that meet their bankroll needs, and higher buy-ins usually offer satellites for all players to be able to win their way into those events. The sorting function helps players find what they want to play.
Money Builders
Every day of the week, SportsBetting offers Money Builder tournaments with low buy-ins and guarantees. The tournaments start every hour as rebuy tournaments and a great way to build on a bankroll without breaking the bank.
Progressive Bounties
Players love PKO tournaments these days. The ability to win bounties for knocking out opponents is a way to make money during a tournament before the money bubble bursts. There are Hold’em and Omaha options every day and night of the week, with most buy-ins ranging from $1.10 to $55.
Sunday Majors
The list of Sunday majors for tournaments have some big guarantees, but there are buy-ins from $22 to $215. The range of structures includes everything from PKO to turbos, many with rebuys and reentries to keep the action going. The most popular Sunday events are:
- $109 buy-in Main Event with $150K GTD
- $55 buy-in NLHE with $20K GTD
- $215 buy-in NLHE with $40K GTD
- $22 buy-in Mini Main Event with $10K GTD
Week Days
No matter the day of the week, SportsBetting has daily tournaments that start every hour on the hour. Rebuy tournaments start half-past each hour. And buy-ins span from just $1.10 to $215, with something for everyone and satellites for the larger events.
Breaking Down SportsBetting’s Poker Software
As mentioned, SportsBetting shares a poker platform with BetOnline, and the Chico Poker Network hosts both poker rooms. The software is continually upgraded to provide the latest features for its players.
Anyone logging on to play poker at SportsBetting.ag will find that they can log in to the classic version of the site via any web browser. A download of the Sportsbetting.ag app is optional but does bring up the most updated version of the site, a more modern lobby and faster action. Mobile devices – iOS and Android – are supported as well.
The classic version of SportsBetting Poker has all of the bells and whistles that is expected of today’s online poker, complete with hand histories, statistics, tournament reentries and late registration, and fast-fold poker. The downloadable site helps players avoid the lag time that can come with a web browser that is overloaded or slows down when too many tabs are open. Downloading the app is preferred by most players who log on through SportsBetting.ag.
The poker software is also connected to the rest of SportsBetting’s offerings. Players can seamlessly transition from the poker tables over to the sportsbook or racebook, or open the casino to play some table games or online slots.
Chico’s poker software capabilities also present the opportunity for features that players at all bankroll levels enjoy.
- All-in Cash Out: This was a feature that players wanted for a long time, and SportsBetting implemented it in recent years. The All-In Cash Out function allows a player to see the value of a hand with which they moved all-in. For a 1% fee, the player can see the probability of winning the hand and simply cash out for that value instead of sweating the hand and possibly losing via a bad beat.
- Anonymous Observation: When looking at the poker lobby, players are not listed by their screen names. This is a feature started by Chico to keep players anonymous. The purpose is to keep pro players or bots from detecting players that may not be winning players. This practice is illegal on the site, but the anonymity of players in the lobby keeps pros from targeting opponents that they perceive to be weaker. Players screen names only become available at the actual tables.
- Poker Odds Calculator: One of the reasons that poker is often called a skill game rather than one of chance is that players can calculate the odds of winning hands. Pot odds are used by most skilled players, but getting used to calculating those odds with every hand is tough for new players. The poker odds calculator is free, and players can attach it to any cash game or tournament table to see the odds. This is helpful in making decisions.
- Straddle: More players are getting used to straddling in cash games. Many new players and recreationals don’t love it, but it is an option on SportsBetting Poker. The person just to the left of the big blind can place a straddle bet, which puts them in the position to act last before the flop and increases the pot. This is a cash game feature at some tables, which are marked as such in the lobby.
- Throwables: Throwables became popular with virtual reality gaming, and some poker software, like that used by Chico, can offer the feature. Essentially, it gives players the option to use emojis and even throw things at opponents, like fruit.
Web Version vs Poker Client
The SportsBetting software basically plays the same whether in the downloaded software or through a web browser. There are only a few differences that primarily depend upon the player’s setup and preferences, though speed can play a role and slow down play in a browser.
The downloaded version of the poker room is its own entity. Not only is it faster than the browser version, it offers more setting options. It also prevents accidental closure of the browser tab while playing.
How Tough is the Competition at Sportsbetting Poker?
In general, the games are not very tough at SportsBetting Poker’s cash game and tournament tables. There are some pro players and semi-pros in the mix, but the majority of the players are there for fun and to learn, not to make a living from the games.
Some of the bigger tournaments and series draw better players, but the low buy-in events tend to offer soft fields. And since most of the games are Hold’em in tournament series, the non-Hold’em games draw in many new players, making those fields softer than usual as well.
That being said, Sportsbetting.ag is softer compared to some of the other bigger poker sites. There are a couple of reasons for this.
- Crossover traffic. Players from the sports and casino side will spill over to the poker tables. They are easy marks because they just want to gamble and show off. On top of that they’re not going to understand pot odds, hand equities and ranges.
- Sportsbetting.ag accepts US players. That adds more players to the pool, naturally making the games softer.
- There are fewer pros. Since the site has less traffic, you don’t have to worry about the tables being infested with good players. Pro players stick to sites with more traffic to ensure there are always games running.
Ultimately, during our Sportsbetting review, it was clear that this site was catered to the more recreational player. So if you’re looking for a soft site to learn how to play poker and make money from, Sportsbetting.ag is a good site for that.
SportsBetting Poker Traffic and Network
With SportsBetting Poker sharing its platform with BetOnline Poker, the traffic on the network is enough to host quite a few cash games and tournaments. The overall traffic can be up to 1,000 players on a weekday but higher on evenings and weekends. When the network runs a tournament series, the traffic peaks.
In the overall scheme of poker sites around the world, Chico Poker Network ranks in the top 20, though peak hours and special events can boost the site further up the rankings.
There is a total of players on the site at all times at the bottom of the poker lobby. That number is also reflected in the number of cash games and tournaments running at that time.
Deposits and Cashouts at Sportsbetting.ag Poker
Methods
Sportsbetting.ag’s deposit options include: person to person, Visa, Visa (person to person), book to book, money orders, bank wires and checks. Deposit limits range from $50 to $25,000 for the majority of options. There are a few options that have no limits.
Your withdrawal options include: checks, bank wires, person to person and book to book transfers. Withdrawal limits vary from $100 to $8,000.
Deposit Limits
| Deposit Method | Minimum Deposit | Maximum Deposit | Deposit Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Credit card | $50 | $500 | None |
| Bitcoin | $20 | $5,000 | None |
| Cash transfer (WU) | $50 | $700 | Credited back to player’s account for deposits of $300 or more |
| Cash transfer (MG) | $50 | $600 | Credited back to player’s account for deposits of $300 or more |
| Bank wire transfer | $1,000 | N/A | Credited back to player |
| Cashier’s check | $1,500 | N/A | None |
| Money order | $300 | N/A | None |
| Book to book | $500 | N/A | None |
How to deposit on Sportsbetting Poker with Bitcoin
It is important for our readers to be able to use cryptocurrency at their chosen poker site, and during our Sportsbetting review, we were not disappointed. If you’re looking for a good site to gamble with Bitcoin, they are a great option. Aside from bonuses, Sportsbetting gives you an additional bonus when you deposit with Bitcoin. It also accepts a number of other cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin Cash.
There are no fees and deposits and withdrawals are always speedy. All you have to do is select the site’s Cryptocurrency option on the deposit screen. You can even use a QR code to scan and deposit crypto. If you have any problems, the site has a Bitcoin 101 to help you get your coins on the site.
Withdrawals
| Withdrawal Method | Minimum Withdrawal | Maximum Withdrawal | Fees | Turnaround Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bitcoin | $20 | $5,000 | 2% | 1-2 days |
| Express courier check | $500 | $2,500 | $50 | 10-14 days |
| Courier check | $500 | $2,500 | $35 | 18-21 days |
| Regular check | $500 | $2,500 | $25 | 40-50 days |
| Cash transfer (MG) | $50 | $400 | depends on amount | 5-7 days |
| Reloadable ATM card | $100 | $2,500 | $25 for each load and $80 to issue the card | 1-2 days per load |
| Bank wire | $500 | $24,900 | varies | 18-21 days |
| Skrill | $25 | $9,900 | $20 | 1-2 days |
| NETeller | $25 | $9,900 | $20 | 1-2 days |
Fees
All deposit fees will be covered by Sportsbetting.ag. Withdrawals, however, will have fees for every option available. The fees range from $25 to $185, depending on which method you choose and/or how fast you want to receive your money.
Security
Sportsbetting.ag is just as secure as the other poker sites. All transactions are encoded and encrypted, and customer’s funds are held in an insured escrow account, in cash or similar. Your personal information (email, name, address, etc) will not be shared or sold to other 3rd parties either. Sportsbetting.ag has been in business a long time, and have not had any known/major security issues. You can feel safe here.
What is Missing from SportsBetting Poker?
SportsBetting tries to stick to the basics, offering as much Hold’em and Omaha that players would like. However, many of today’s players want to try new games, explore mixed game tournaments and new variants. They deserve more options, especially in today’s poker environment.
While SportsBetting Poker is almost identical to the BetOnline poker setup, it would behoove them to set themselves apart from its sister site. Of course, sports betting is the prime draw on the site – given its name – but it could offer more promos and draw a bit more attention to its poker offering.
Finally, the site could and should be more transparent about the steps it takes to combat bots, cheaters, and advantage players who try to prey on “weaker” opponents. Players should know that they’re safe and that the site is taking concrete steps to protect new and recreational customers.
SportsBetting Poker Network and License Information
The Chico Poker Network operations are based in Panama, the poker sites calling Panama City home. However, this prevents access to gambling licenses maintained under the Panama Gaming Control Board (Junta de Control de Juegos). This regulatory agency does not appear to show a license for SportsBetting Poker or its sister sites or network online.
There is also no proof of a certificate of RNG (random number generator) usage for poker. BetOnline says its poker software is approved by Gamin Laboratories International (GLI), but the site does not show the trademark for verification.
Are 3rd Party Programs Supported?
SportsBetting says that any software, artificial intelligence, or tools used to gain an unfair advantage in play are prohibited. This includes hand charts and odds calculators from third-party software providers. The network does not provide a thorough list of banned products. If there are questions about the ability to use some software, it is best to check with a customer service representative first instead of risking being banned from the site.
Customer Service
SportsBetting provides a live chat function, which is the fastest way to contact a member of the customer service team. There is also an email connect button and a telephone number (1-888-843-9027). Help is available around the clock, every day of the year.
The help center via the “Need Help?” button provides answers to frequently asked questions about the cashier, player accounts, bonuses, wagering, casino games, and poker.
Conclusion
Some players believe that SportsBetting Poker is a treasured find in the massive world of online poker sites. With the number of newer and amateur players at the tables, those who study and improve their game through practice and training can get a leg up on their competitors. Fans of this poker site and network also say that it is a great place to find any low-stakes action, the perfect place to try new strategies and improve as an overall player.
The decades of experience behind the SportsBetting and BetOnline teams give players confidence that their funds are protected. And the sites pride itself on fast payouts and timely responses to customer service inquiries. Players trust the poker site because of that experience, which includes employees that have been with the company for long periods of time. It instills confidence in the product.
US players are always welcome at SportsBetting Poker.
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